Marlow
Marlow was the 1167th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 199 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,063 places. More babies were named Marlow in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Marlowe) lake remnant hill? (English place name Marlow) · Old English
- Rank in 2025
- #1,167 girls, up 861 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 199girls
- Girls and boys
- 74% girls, 26% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025199 babies
- Total since 1880
- 4,096babies recorded
What does the name Marlow mean?
Marlow is a spelling of Marlowe, pronounced the same way, so it shares Marlowe's meaning and origin.
Marlowe is an English habitational surname from the place name Marlow, according to Wiktionary. Wiktionary explains Marlow as Old English mere, lake or pool, plus hlǣw, hill or mound. One Marlow is a town on the Thames in Buckinghamshire, and Wiktionary lists others in Herefordshire and Australia. As a given name it has been used in the US since the 1910s and has risen recently for girls.
mere (Old English, “lake, pool”)hlǣw (Old English, “hill, mound”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary only; the second element is given as 'hill' there.
See also: English names, names that mean water, names that mean meadow, hill or valley, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Marlowe' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Marlow' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Marlow popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,167 | #2,323 | 199 | 60 |
| 2020 | #2,028 | #3,986 | 92 | 26 |
| 2010 | #4,565 | #4,068 | 32 | 25 |
| 2000 | — | #7,198 | — | 9 |
| 1990 | — | #4,321 | — | 13 |
| 1980 | #8,705 | #2,586 | 7 | 19 |
| 1970 | #4,956 | #1,645 | 11 | 28 |
| 1960 | — | #1,800 | — | 21 |
| 1950 | — | #2,167 | — | 13 |
| 1940 | — | #1,423 | — | 23 |
| 1930 | — | #1,870 | — | 17 |
| 1920 | — | #2,892 | — | 10 |
| 1910 | — | #1,760 | — | 5 |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Marlow, counting every spelling?
Marlow is a spelling of Marlowe, a name family that ranked #427 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,167 for Marlow on its own. Together these spellings went to 774 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marlowe | 575 | #523 | 2,048 |
| Marlow | 199 | #1,167 | 813 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Marlow?
199 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Marlow (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Marlow born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 42 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Marlow.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Marlow?
About 1,900 people born in the US named Marlow are alive today, with a median age of 7; half are between 3 and 12. That makes Marlow a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Marlow by state
How common Marlow was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Utah (2.6×), Wisconsin (2.3×), Colorado (2.1×), Washington (2.0×). In 24 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Marlow: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Marlow, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Marlow
What does Marlow mean?
Marlow is a spelling of Marlowe, which means “lake remnant hill? (English place name Marlow)” (Old English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Marlow?
Marlow was the 1167th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 199 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,063 places. More babies were named Marlow in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Marlow a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 74% girls, 26% boys given the name Marlow in the US.
Where is Marlow most popular?
In 2021–2025, Marlow was most common in Utah (0.26 per 1,000 girls), followed by Wisconsin and Colorado.